Just start. And it’s never done.

Just start. And it’s never done.

Last week I had the opportunity to lead a panel discussion about data clean up at the quarterly NetForum Users Group meeting. (Quick plug: If you're not a member of your AMS users group, join now! And if there isn't a users group, start one!)

At the end of the session, I asked the participants to offer some final words of advice. I was coalescing thoughts of my own and arrived at these two suggestions about doing data clean up:

  1. Just start.
  2. It's never done.

Both are simple, but oh so hard.

If you're not already cleaning your data in some manner, today is the day to start. And don't try to do it all; just pick one thing and clean.

And always remember: data cleaning is never done. Data that isn't actively managed will become stale over time. So either you're cleaning it, or it's getting worse.

So what are you waiting for?

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

It’s about process

July 16, 2025

It’s about process I’m in the midst of adding an AI agent to my website […]

Data integrity reports

July 9, 2025

Data integrity reports I speak and write a lot about data integrity reports. So I […]

The most important training tip

June 25, 2025

The most important training tip I’ve been sitting in a lot of database training sessions […]

Be careful about getting tangled

June 18, 2025

Be careful about getting tangled “We had done a lot to tangle ourselves up.” – […]

Discipline. Always discipline.

June 11, 2025

Discipline. Always discipline. I’ve been producing a newsletter in some form for over 25 years […]

Simpler is better

June 4, 2025

Simpler is better Recently, a client of mine was discussing how they manage membership reinstatements. […]

Baby steps

May 28, 2025

Baby Steps A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. You have […]

Sometimes what you’re using IS the best option

May 21, 2025

Sometimes what you’re using IS the best option I love technology and I’m inherently lazy, […]

Do they hate the system?

May 14, 2025

Do they hate the system? When an association asks me for help finding a new […]

Artificial Intelligence is the next revolution in data management

May 7, 2025

Artificial Intelligence is the next revolution in data management I’ve been in the data management […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top